New Ulm weekly review., 1887-04-13
A FEATHERED GENIUS.
Tow Common Parrot Rose in the Scale Of In
tellectuality. S.

Tow q Common Parrot Rose in the Scale Of In
tellectuality. 3
From Southern Echoes.
About fifty years ago there lived in
Philadelphia family named Miller,
who kept a hotel on Chestnut street
(San Miller's). One day he bought an
Australian parrot. He was probably
three years old. Sometime in the be-
ginning OF the forties Polly came into
the hands OF a Wentz family, at Lam
caster, Penn, who had him for per-
haps ten or fifteen years, when he was
sold to Mr.. Connell, in Leacock
township, Lancaster county. Here
ne had the misfortune to break his leg,
which disabled him so that he could
not feed himself properly. He came
very near being sacrificed to relieve
him OF his misery, when Mr.. Crick
successfully splinted and bandaged
the broken limb, and in a short time
healed the fracture.
From this time forth the history OF
Polly's precocity begins 1t was never
!! known before what twas in" the bird.
Polly was given a wide range on the
little farm, where he mingled with
geese, ducks, chickens and pigs, and
by degrees became a mimic unparal-
leled by anything recorded in history.
When he cackled any one not aware
OF his presence naturally concluded
that a hen was just glorying over her
''last lay" When he crowed all the
barnyard strutters joined in chorus
to out crow him. When he initiated
the small 'chick" with q shrill and
quick 'peep" as if in pain, clucking
mothers would run in the direction
| whence the sound came, to the rescue
OF the supposed victim, only to be
confronted by the mischievous, hook
billed counterfeit.
His braying Of a mule was perfect in
modulatlon, but somewhat lacking in
volume, and for that reason was one
of his very best efforts. No woman
ever laughed more heartily than Polly
could laugh; in fact, so natural was
| this imitation that on more than one
occasion persons would stop to listen
to the fun among the women folks of
the house, to be told on inquiring as
to what was going on that it was con
ly Polly having laugh to himself"
The most natural ofall his limitations,
however, was the crying Of a baby 1t
was enough to touch the heart of any
tender parent passing the house when
Polly had this theme in hand. Such
sobbing, such holding OF breath, and
then bursting out afresh in a per-
feet scream as of pain, made
everybody within hearing and
not knowing the source feel like
suggesting Winslow soothing syrup or
paregoric, and that without delay.
One other extraordinary effort of
Polly was the squealing OF q dying pig.
Mr.. Crick killed many hogs for the
market and this gave the bird an ex-
cellent opportunity to acquire this
ear-plercing refrain. His initiation of
the whining OF a puppy and barking OF
O. dog were perfect in tho full sense OF
the term. In short, there was nothing
that it undertook to initiate which
was not done to perfection, except the
braying of the mule
Polly was happy in his home, but he
finally became too sociable for Mr..
Crick's use, and this was the cause of
his sale. His obtrusive sociabllity
consisted in eating from the baby's
hand. One day the baby was eating
candy. Polly wanted some OF that
candy, SO he just walked up and
took the candy and part of the
thumb from baby's hand. When baby
cried he broke out in a fit of laughing,
which novel concert brought the fami.
~ to the scene, and from that mo-
ment it was resolved, finally and ir-
revocably, that "Polly must 60" He
was at once deprived of his liberty by
being put into his cage and transport
ed to Lancaster, five miles distant, to
be sold. He was kept in basement
restaurant, where for the first time
saw him, loved him and bought him.
A large volume might be written OF
my more than twenty years expert
ence with this wonderful creature; of
the excursions we made together
through the surrounding country; OF
our trips to various large cities in
Pennsylvania; Of his tricks in gym
nastlcs, OF his accompaniment when [
whlstled "Sweet Home;" of his gather
ing up from the floor number of
coins,. carefully bringing them to me
in a perfect roll and placing them in
my hand; and OF his ringing a bell,
carrying a little bucket ofwater, bring
ing my hat, my handkerchief or my
purse when told to doso, and ofa num-
Der OF other equally wonderful feats
indicating extraordinary sagacity, if :.
not reasoning powers. But will con-
tent myself with giving one remark
able episode in: his career which l
think most astonishing of all, and one
in which I, for one, found great diff
Guilty in fixing the line where ''animal
instinct ceases and reasoning faculties
begin"
In 1876 I left for Europe. 1t oc-
Cured to me that the safest place for
Polly would be.the geological gardens
at Philadelphia and there, according
ly, left him. After three years and
three months, absence, called at the
zoo. On entering the bird house I.
took a. station on the opposite side of
the building from that Occupied bY Pol